Cyphostemma juttae

Origin and family of Cyphostemma juttae

Cyphostemma juttae is native to Namibia, where it grows in hot, dry, rocky country with strong sun and irregular rainfall. It belongs to the grape family, Vitaceae.

Growing Cyphostemma juttae at home

• Light: Give very bright light and several hours of direct sun. Increase sun exposure gradually after moving the plant from a shadier position.
• Water: While the plant has leaves and is growing, water thoroughly and let the potting mix dry well before watering again. When the leaves fall and the plant rests, keep it mostly dry and give a little water only if the trunk starts to wrinkle noticeably.
• Potting mix: Use a fast-draining succulent mix with plenty of pumice, gravel or similar coarse material around the roots.
• Temperature: Warm conditions suit leafy growth. Keep the plant frost-free, especially when the potting mix is damp.
• Humidity: Normal indoor humidity is suitable in a bright, well-ventilated position.
• Feeding: Feed lightly while leaves and shoots are growing. Stop feeding while the plant is resting.
• Safety: Keep the berries out of reach of children and pets. Plant material can be irritating if chewed.
• Repotting: Repot when roots fill the container or drainage slows. Keep the swollen trunk at the same planting depth.
• Propagation: Seeds can take time to germinate. Stem cuttings can also root in a coarse, well-drained potting mix.

Health issues in Cyphostemma juttae

• A soft or darkening trunk base: Too much moisture while the plant is resting can cause rot. Take it out of the pot and cut any soft dark tissue back to firm healthy tissue with a clean blade. Discard the rotten parts, let the cut surface dry and repot in fresh coarse potting mix.
• Wrinkling while the plant is fully leafed: The plant may be too dry. Water deeply, make sure the whole potting mix becomes wet and check whether the trunk firms up again after the pot drains.
• Pale, stretched new shoots: The plant needs more light. Move it gradually toward a brighter window or suitable grow light.
• Cottony clusters or fixed brown bumps: Mealybugs or scale can settle around leaf joints and bark folds. Isolate the plant and remove visible pests before treating with a product labelled for the pest. Repeat only as directed on the label, checking bark folds and leaf joints again between treatments.

Keep Cyphostemma juttae away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

About the name Cyphostemma juttae

Cyphostemma combines Greek kyphos, meaning hump, with stemma, meaning crown or garland. Juttae honours plant collector Jutta Dinter.

Arthur Hugh Garfit Alston established the genus Cyphostemma in 1931 in A Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon, volume 6, issue supplement, page 53.

Moritz Kurt Dinter and Ernst Friedrich Gilg first described it as Cissus juttae in 1912 in Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, volume 46, pages 454 and 510. Bernard Marie Descoings later placed it in Cyphostemma as Cyphostemma juttae in 1967 in Naturalia Monspeliensia, Série Botanique, volume 18, page 222.